Beloved Lakeview restaurant Dear Margaret is closing after suffering significant damage from a fire that occurred on October 6. The popular neighborhood spot was immediately temporarily closed but, this week, they announced the permanent closure after five years at 2965 N Lincoln Avenue.
Chef Ryan Brosseau made the latest announcement in an Instagram post on November 4, saying that the building’s owner has sold the space, which will be torn down next year. Although the fire was contained and no one was injured, extensive water and smoke damage only exacerbated the 150-year-old building’s existing issues.
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After the fire, Three PR founder and Dear Margaret regular Rachel Gillman Rischall launched a GoFundMe campaign and raised nearly $30,000 by November 5. The funds helped the Dear Margaret team pay their staff until they had to let them go in early November.
“We are wholly overwhelmed with gratitude for how the community has shown up for us,” Brosseau said in a video on Instagram. “We wish all little restaurants could be as lucky as us to have a neighborhood regular like [Gillman Rischall].” The video post contained security camera footage of the fire relentlessly ripping through the intimate restaurant.
Opened in 2021 by chef Brosseau, who grew up in Ontario, Canada, and Lacey Irby, the neighborhood eatery was known for its French-Canadian fare infused with Midwestern influences. Brosseau was named a Rising Star by StarChefs in 2021 and was named a Chef to Watch by Plate magazine in 2022. Time Out also gave the restaurant five stars in a 2022 review while the New York Times listed it as one of the best restaurants in Chicago.
The Dear Margaret team is currently looking for a new space to reopen the restaurant as soon as possible, according to Brosseau. There aren’t any reopening plans yet, but we recommend checking out their Instagram profile for the latest updates.
Dining and Cooking